Veteranshttp://kplu.org
enPuget Sound VA Says It's Making Progress In Reducing Its Waitlist For Primary Carehttp://kplu.org/post/puget-sound-va-says-its-making-progress-reducing-its-waitlist-primary-care
<p><iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/163328404&amp;color=ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe></p><p>The head of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Michael Murphy, says the agency is making progress in getting veterans in to see a primary care doctor, but he says there’s still a lot more work to do to improve care for veterans in this region.&nbsp;</p>Fri, 15 Aug 2014 22:39:37 +0000Ashley Gross18183 at http://kplu.orgBlitz, Boats, and Buchenwald: One Seattle Veteran's Storyhttp://kplu.org/post/blitz-boats-and-buchenwald-one-seattle-veterans-story
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5;">Norma </span>Strecker’s<span style="line-height: 1.5;"> birthday comes just three days before Veterans Day, and this year, she’s turning 92.</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5;">Seven decades have passed since she was serving in the U.S. Army, drawing maps of France to be used by Allied troops in the coming invasion. She spent five months in London, under nightly bombing by the Germans during the so-called “Little Blitz.”</span></p>Fri, 08 Nov 2013 23:42:57 +0000Gabriel Spitzer10943 at http://kplu.orgBlitz, Boats, and Buchenwald: One Seattle Veteran's StoryStarbucks Is Latest Company Aiming To Help Vets Land Jobshttp://kplu.org/post/starbucks-latest-company-aiming-help-vets-land-jobs
In recent years, companies ranging from JPMorgan Chase to Walmart to Boeing have announced special hiring programs for veterans. Seattle coffee giant Starbucks is the latest.<p>All of these companies are trying to bring down a stubbornly high unemployment rate for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. But to succeed, companies have to take the time to understand the skills of service members.<p>For 37 years, Carrol Stripling served in the U.S. Army, both active duty and reserves, mostly as a paralegal.Wed, 06 Nov 2013 18:34:56 +0000Ashley Gross10870 at http://kplu.orgStarbucks Is Latest Company Aiming To Help Vets Land JobsNew Legal Resource Guide to Help Military in Washington http://kplu.org/post/new-legal-resource-guide-help-military-washington
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5;">The state attorney general has compiled a</span><span style="line-height: 1.5;">&nbsp;new </span><a href="http://www.atg.wa.gov/pressrelease.aspx?id=31374#.Ui-6tD8bh5J" style="line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Military and Veteran Legal Resource Guide</a><span style="line-height: 1.5;">&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 1.5;">aimed at helping active-duty soldiers and veterans learn about their legal rights.</span></p><p>Military personnel and veterans have a number of special legal rights when it comes to such things as interest rates on home loans or getting out of rental agreements. The problem, according to Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, is too many people are unaware of these protections.</p><p>Wed, 11 Sep 2013 23:16:12 +0000Paula Wissel9954 at http://kplu.orgNew Legal Resource Guide to Help Military in Washington Living with PTSD: 'It’s amazing what a white dog can do'http://kplu.org/post/living-ptsd-it-s-amazing-what-white-dog-can-do
<p><em style="line-height: 1.5;">Editor’s Note: This is the last installment in a three-part series exploring the benefits of service dogs for combat veterans. Reporter Samantha Wright began working on this series three years ago. The previous two parts are posted online (<a href="http://http://www.kplu.org/post/living-ptsd-i-completely-lose-control">read part 1 </a>/ <a href="http://www.kplu.org/post/living-ptsd-i-can-t-hardly-remember-life-without-him">read part 2</a>).</em></p>Sun, 02 Jun 2013 13:01:00 +0000Samantha Wright8950 at http://kplu.orgLiving with PTSD: 'It’s amazing what a white dog can do'Living with PTSD: 'I can’t hardly remember life without him'http://kplu.org/post/living-ptsd-i-can-t-hardly-remember-life-without-him
<p><em style="line-height: 1.5;">Editor’s Note: This is the second story in a three-part series exploring the benefits of service dogs for combat veterans.&nbsp;</em><em style="line-height: 1.5;">Reporter Samantha Wright began working on this series three years ago.&nbsp;</em><em style="line-height: 1.5;">The <a href="http://www.kplu.org/post/living-ptsd-i-completely-lose-control">first installment</a> ran on Friday, and the last story will follow on Sunday.</em></p><p>A veteran of the Persian Gulf War, Dan Sperry came home with headaches, panic attacks, and flashbacks of the war.</p>Sat, 01 Jun 2013 13:01:00 +0000Samantha Wright8949 at http://kplu.orgLiving with PTSD: 'I can’t hardly remember life without him'Living with PTSD: 'I completely lose control'http://kplu.org/post/living-ptsd-i-completely-lose-control
<p><em style="line-height: 1.5;">Editor’s Note: This is the first installment in a three-part series exploring the benefits of service dogs for combat veterans.&nbsp;</em><em style="line-height: 1.5;">Reporter Samantha Wright began working on this series three years ago.&nbsp;</em><em style="line-height: 1.5;">The next two parts will run on Saturday and Sunday.</em></p><p>Dan Sperry sits in the backyard of his home in Meridian, Idaho, sipping lemonade. But he doesn’t sit very long; Sperry is constantly on the move. He fidgets. And he might suddenly spring up form his chair and disappear into the house.</p><p>“I just stay home. I avoid society all together, which now I’ve gotten to a point where I hardly even return phone calls. I don’t go out. I don’t go anywhere by myself,” he said.</p><p>Fri, 31 May 2013 15:01:00 +0000Samantha Wright8948 at http://kplu.orgLiving with PTSD: 'I completely lose control'Seattle's veterans treatment court sees its first 2 gradshttp://kplu.org/post/seattles-veterans-treatment-court-sees-its-first-2-grads
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5;">Two Vietnam veterans are celebrating a milestone in Seattle today: They’re the first graduates of a special treatment court set up for veterans.</span></p><p>Tue, 02 Apr 2013 21:59:47 +0000Ashley Gross8264 at http://kplu.orgU.S. gov't still paying families of Civil War vetshttp://kplu.org/post/us-govt-still-paying-families-civil-war-vets
<p><span style="color: rgb(54, 54, 54); font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; line-height: 20px;">If history is any judge, the U.S. government will be paying for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for the next century as service members and their families grapple with the sacrifices of combat.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', serif; line-height: 20px; color: rgb(54, 54, 54);">An Associated Press analysis of federal payment records found that the government is still making monthly payments to relatives of Civil War veterans — 148 years after the conflict ended.</p><p>Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:31:46 +0000The Associated Press8051 at http://kplu.orgU.S. gov't still paying families of Civil War vetsSun Valley becomes hub for healing vets through sportshttp://kplu.org/post/sun-valley-becomes-hub-healing-vets-through-sports
<a href="http://cpa.ds.npr.org/northwestnews/audio/2013/03/021313TB_SunValley_web.mp3" class="asset-audio"></a><p>KETCHUM, Idaho - A ceremony in Sochi, Russia a few days ago started the one year countdown to the 2014 Winter Games. Here in the Northwest, the Sun Valley, Idaho ski team has set a goal to get at least six of its skiers or snowboarders on Team USA in Sochi.<p>The Paralympic Games for physically disabled athletes follow right after the Olympics. That U.S. team will also likely have lots of Northwest ties.Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:35:10 +0000Tom Banse7794 at http://kplu.orgSun Valley becomes hub for healing vets through sportsThe journey from soldier, to double-amputee, to pro athletehttp://kplu.org/post/journey-soldier-double-amputee-pro-athlete
<a href="http://cpa.ds.npr.org/northwestnews/audio/2013/02/021313TB_Amputee_web.mp3" class="asset-audio"></a><p>KETCHUM, Idaho - A winter's worth of racing and training for the best disabled skiers and shooters culminates later this month at the Paralympic Nordic World Championships in Sweden. For the first time, the U.S. team headed to the competition is made up entirely of disabled veterans.Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:30:43 +0000Tom Banse7792 at http://kplu.orgThe journey from soldier, to double-amputee, to pro athleteAdvocates: Veterans with PTSD should get purple hearts, benefitshttp://kplu.org/post/advocates-veterans-ptsd-should-get-purple-hearts-benefits
<p>Advocates for the mentally ill say the federal government isn&rsquo;t going far enough to help veterans who return from war with psychological wounds. They&rsquo;re in Seattle this week, demanding a change in military culture and better mental health care for veterans.</p><p>Fri, 29 Jun 2012 14:41:18 +0000Monica Spain5443 at http://kplu.orgAdvocates: Veterans with PTSD should get purple hearts, benefitsIn sweat lodge, vets find healing 'down to the core'http://kplu.org/post/sweat-lodge-vets-find-healing-down-core
Substance abuse. Violence. Even thoughts of suicide. These are some of the problems that many veterans returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are struggling with.<p>Today it's called post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, but it has affected veterans going back much farther.Mon, 28 May 2012 17:41:37 +00005120 at http://kplu.orgIn sweat lodge, vets find healing 'down to the core'Seattle honors the fallen on Memorial Dayhttp://kplu.org/post/seattle-honors-fallen-memorial-day
<p>Eric Ward. Jeffrey Starr. Jeremy Burris.</p><p>Those are just a few of the 141 soldiers from Washington state who have lost their lives in Iraq or Afghanistan. That&rsquo;s according to the Washington Post, which <a href="http://apps.washingtonpost.com/national/fallen/" target="_blank">compiles casualty statistics</a>. Memorial Day offers a chance to reflect on their sacrifice.&nbsp;</p><p>Fri, 25 May 2012 21:51:32 +0000Ashley Gross5110 at http://kplu.orgSeattle honors the fallen on Memorial DaySeattle Central reaches out to military veteranshttp://kplu.org/post/seattle-central-reaches-out-military-veterans
<p>Seattle Central Community College may be well known for Occupy Seattle protests and antiwar activism. But school officials are trying to make the campus more friendly to returning members of the military.</p><p>Thu, 24 May 2012 00:34:59 +0000Gabriel Spitzer5082 at http://kplu.orgSeattle Central reaches out to military veterans